Horseshoe and method of making the same



Oct. 2, 1934. M. F. o'comoR 1,975,730

HORSESHOE AND MET-HOD OF MAKING THE SAME Fi led May 6. 1932 2 Shets-Sheet 1 v 45 W 52 32 52 I ATTORNEY Oct- 2, 1934- M. F. OCONNOR 7 1,975,730

HORSESHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 6. 1932 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 $1.! 7IZYEETOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UiTE HORSESHOE METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Michael F. O Conn'o r, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Phoenix .Manufacturing Company, Joliet, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 6, 1932,- Serial No. 609,612

Claims. (or. 59-64) This invention, relates to horseshoes and methods of making them.

Ordinary horseshoes have been successfully manufactured from rolled blanks, but with other types, particularly those designed for drive-calks, it has been necessary to resort to the more expen-' sive method of drop forging. In drive-calk shoes it is conventional practice to provide round bosses on the bottom of the shoe, so that the holes for the drive-calks will have enough inside wall surface to hold the calks securely. When attempts were made to roll drive-calk shoe blanks havin'g bosses, the blanks wereunsatisfactory, and the positions and spacing. of the bosses, after the blanks were rolled and the blanks were formed into horseshoe shape, were irregular. i Then if the calk holes were made in the properjpositions in relation to the shoe and to each'other, they would be off center with respect to the'bosses, leaving an insufiicient wall thickness at one side or the other, .and. sometimes cutting entirely through the side ofa boss. f

V A rolled horseshoe is greatly to be desired, not alone-forreasons of economy but also because it is possible by rolling to form creases to receive the nail heads. Such creases hold the heads more satisfactorily than individual countersunk nailhead recesses and permit the nails to be removed more readily. It is not practical to make creased shoes by forging, because the narrow ridge on the die to make the crease doesnot withstand wear. p j

For the foregoing reasons, drive-calk shoes have had to be manufactured by forging and have not been provided with creases. .Numerous efforts have been made in the past to make rolled drive-calk shoes for the market, but none'of them has been commercially successful. V v,

The object of this invention is to provide a satisfactory rolled .drive-calkshoe, and the method of making the same.

A further object is to provide a rolled drive calk shoe having nail-head creases, and the method of making it. u

A further object of the invention is'to provide a rolled blank from which to form a drive-calk shoe, and the method of making the blank.

The horseshoe of this invention isformed with double, block-like elevations at the toe and heel regions. I have ascertained that these block elevations can be rolled in the blank with entire success, that they lend themselves to the forming operation by which the blank is bent to horse- K shoe shape, and that after the forming there is never any difiiculty in placing the calkholes exactly where they should be, while still keeping them adequately within the confines of the elevations. 1 V At thesame time, it is possible -to provide the,

greatly'desired creases; I A' further object of the invention is to provide a double horseshoe blank, and method of making the same, inwhich the side thrusts in rolling one portion of the blank are balanced against the side thrusts in rolling the other portion of the blank. j

When substantially straight blanks are bent to horseshoe form, the material on the inside of the "front of .thebend is compressed and often buckles and interfereswiththe forming, besides causingan undesirablebulge. It is an objectof this-invention. toprevent such buckling of the blank by providing a section ofthe blank with lessvertical thickness on one side than on the other, and then bending the blank ina horizontal plane; with the side of less thickness on themside of the bend; L r

A further object of the invention is to provide a rolled drive-calk horseshoev having effective clearance bevels' whichare designed to obtain the necessary width for the calk-receiving surfaces, on the bottom face of the shoe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear or will be pointed out as the'description proceeds. r

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof: I

, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevationshowing the rolling apparatus and the manner in which. a billet passes through the rolls;

Fig. 2 is a section on theline ;22 of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a double. blank produced by the rolling apparatus; v

Figs. 4., 5 and 6 are sections along the lines 4-4, 5-5 and 61-6, respectively, of the blank shown in Figs. 1 and 3; v

Fig. 7 is alfragm'entary plan view "showing as much of a bending machine as is necessary to illustratethebendingstep of the method;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the'blank after being bent to horseshoe shape; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the finished horseshoe with the clip and drive-calk openings.

Fig. 1 shows a billet 11, which is rolled hot between rolls l2 and 14. These rolls 12 and 14 are carried by shafts 15 and 17, respectively, and form the billet into a series of double horseshoe-blanks 16. The roll 12 shown in the drawing produces two double blanks with each revolution. This rollis provided with long projections 18 for forming nail-head creases 20 in the blanks, and a number of small projections 22 are provided on the creasing projections for forming indentations 24 at the bottom of the creases, these indentations facilitating the subsequent operation of punching the nail-holes.

By making the periphery of the roll with sunk sectors alternating with relatively elevated sectors, the metal of the blank is caused to flow so that it is developed into elongated elevations 48 and 50, practically the full width of the shoes to be formed, these plateaus being much higher than the intervening portions of the rolled blanks, which represent approximately the ordinary thickness of a shoe. Each of these blocks or elevations is adapted to accommodate two calks, at the toe or heel, though naturally the invention is applicable to the use of a single calk at one of these regions in the unlikely event of that being desired. The elevation is the toe elevation and the elevations 48 are the heel elevations. They merge with the lower surfaces of the blanks, and consequently with the lower surfaces of the final shoes, on slopes favorable to rolling.

The roll 12 also has projections 26, which form depressions 28 in the mid-portion of the elevations 50 of each blank, to prevent the blank from buckling when bent in a manner which will be described later on.

A broad V-fin 30 on the roll 12 forms a deep groove 32, which divides the double blank into a pair of individual blanks 34 and 36, and produces clearance bevels on the inside of the shoes which are formed'from the blanks. The angle between the side walls of the groove 32 varies along the length of the blank, being smaller at some points to obtain the necessary width for the calk-receiving services. The changes in the angles of the side walls are gradual and these progressive changes in slope are one of the features which makes possible the production of the blank by rolling.

The roll 12 is also provided with projections 38, which mark the end of each blank by a dent 40, where the blanks are to be sheared into single lengths. A sheared-01f double blank is shown in Fig. 3.

Flanges 42 of the roll 12 shape or retain the outside edges of the double blanks, these outside edges being provided with less bevel than the inside edges of the blank. The creases 20 are formed nearer one side than the other of each individual blank, and the depressions 28 are adjacent the inside edge of each blank. It is apparent that the individual blanks are not symmetrical, and that there is considerable side thrust when rolling, caused principally by the fin 30. Byrolling double blanks and making each individual blank a reverse of the parallel individual blank, the side thrust in one direction is balanced against the opposite side thrust. For example, in rolling the double blank shown in Fig. 3, the side thrust in forming the beveled side of the blank 34 is toward the right and the creases 20 are close to the right side of the blank. The side thrust in forming the beveled side of the blank 36 is toward the left and the creases 20 are close to the left side of the blank. This balancing of the right and left hand thrusts in forming the double blanks produces better results in rolling the blanks and reduces the wear on the rolling equipment.

Before the blanks 34 and 36 can be bent to horseshoe shape, it is necessary to separate them at the groove 32. A better separation can be obtained if a groove is also provided in the lower side of the double blank. A fin 44 on the roller 14 forms a groove 46 in the lower side of the double blank under the groove 32, thus reducing the thickness of the metal by which the blanks 34 and 36 are connected.

The blanks come from the rolls in the form shown in Fig. 3, with the elongated raised portion 48 at each end of the blank and the elongated raised midportion 50 between the lower portions of the blank in which the creases are formed. Each blank has one beveled side 52, which is a wall of the groove 32, but the slope of the side 52 is steeper at the raised portions of the blank,

so that enough width of material will remain at the upper surface of the blank to provide sufiicient stock in which to form holes for drivecalks. The reason for sloping the sides 52 will be explained in describing the finished shoe.

The blanks 34 and 36 are broken apart at the groove in any suitable manner, and each indi'-' vidual blank is bent to horseshoe shape. The blanks may be bent by any method, and Fig. 7 shows the manner in which the blank 34 is bent about a reciprocating bending plunger 56 by formers 58. This bending mechanism is well known and is described in Patent No. 1,420,518,

dated June 20, 1922, and in other patents.

I The blank is bent with the depression 28 on the inside of the bend. During the bending, the material on the outside of the bend is stretched and the material on the inside of the bend is compressed. .The recess provided'by the depression 28 makes the'bending of the blank more succes'sful, and the compressed metal then partially fills the recess. 7

The form of the blank, after bending, is shown in Fig. 8. The elongated elevations 48 and 50 aiford perfect freedom for making holes for drive-calks at predetermined positions and center distances, and always with adequate walls, even though the holes will not always be located precisely in the same positions in the raised portions.

Fig. 9 shows a finished shoe, with the holes 60 through the raised portions 48 and the holes 62 through the raised portions 50. These holes are drilled with the proper spacing, and are drifted or otherwise tapered to receive the stems of drive- The indentations 24 are punched through to form nail holes, and a clip 64 is forced out in any suitable manner. The sloping side 52 causes the inside wall of the shoe to slope outwardly toward the bottom of the shoe, so that mud and snow will not cake inside the shoe. Any mud or snow which is packed inside the shoe will drop out when the horses foot is raised because the inside wall of the shoe flares outwardly at an angle which is too flat to permit the mud-or snow to become wedged inside the shoe.

The preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, but various changes may be made in the method and form without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a blank for a drivecalk horseshoe, which comprises rolling a billet into a horseshoe blank having a sloping side face,

to receive calks, and other elongated raised op v 2. The method of making a .drive-calk horse,

shoe, which comprises forming ablank by rolling it in such a manner that one side face is sloped and its bottom face formed with an elongated block-like elevation at the mid-portion wide enough to receive calksand with other elongated block-like elevations adjacent the ends of the blank of sufficient width to receive calks, then bending the blank to horseshoe shape, and there after drilling holes through the block-like elevations on the bottom of the shoe for receiving drive-calks.

3. In the manufacture of horseshoe blanks, the improvement of forming the blank, in a single rolling pass, with an elongated raised portion on the bottom face of the blank midway between its ends and of sufiicient width to receive calks, and with other elongated raised portions on said bottom face and of sufficient width to receive calks, and with all sections of the blank so formed that bending to horseshoe shape is the only reforming necessary to produce a shoe suitable for drive calks.

4. The method of making drive-calk horseshoes, which comprises rolling material into a double blank comprising parallel horseshoe blanks divided by a deep groove and connected with a beveled side wall which has variations in its slope and is more nearly vertical at theblocklike elevations so that said raised portions are of sufiicient width to receive drive calks, separating the horseshoe blanks formed by said rolling, and

. bending each to horseshoe shape, and thereafter 4.0

drilling holes in the block-like elevations for receiving drive calks.

5. The method of making a horseshoe, which comprises rolling a billet into a horseshoe blank .in which the vertical thickness through a depressed short section of the mid-portion of the blank is greater at one side than at the other; and bending the blank in a horizontal plane with the side of less vertical thickness on the inside of the bend so that as the metal of the blank is stretched on the outside of the bend and compressed on the inside of the bend the vertical thickness of the inside and outside of the mid-portion will become more nearly equal.

6. The method of making a drive-calk horseshoe, which comprises rolling a billet into a horseshoe blank with an elongated raised mid-portion and with other elongated raised portions extending from each end of the blank; forming a part of the raised mid-portion so that it is of greater vertical thickness on one side than on the other;

and bending the blank in a horizontal plane with the side of less thickness on the inside of the bend so that as the metal of the blank is expanded on c, the outside of the bend and compressed on the inside of the bend the vertical thickness of the inside and outside of the mid-portion will become more nearly equal.

7. The method of making a horseshoe which comprises forming a blank with a raised midportion which is pressed at the inside of the bend will cause the vertical thickness of the inside edge of the shoe to increase andapproach the thickness of'the opposite edge. r

' 8. The method ofmakingahorseshoe which comprises-rolling a blank with a depression in one side; and then bending the blank to the shape of a horseshoe with the depression on the inside of the bend so that the material of the horseshoe which is compressed by the bending will partially fill the space'of the depression;

9; The method of rolling horseshoe blanks for drive-balk shoes which comprises rollinga billet into a double blank 'comprisinga pair of parallel horseshoe blanks divided from one another by a straight groove and joined together at the bottom of the groove, and in rolling each of the blanks with elongated raised mid and end portions, and with a beveled side having variations in the slope of the bevel, the slope being steepest at the raised portions so that said raised portions are wide enough to receive drive calks, and balancing the side thrust during the rolling operation by making one blank the reverse of the parallel blank.

10. The method of rolling horseshoe blanks for drive-calk shoes which comprises rolling a billet into a double blank comprising a pair of parallel horseshoe blanks divided from one another by a straight groove and joined together at the bottom of the groove, and in rolling each of the blanks with elongated raised mid and end portions, and with both of its sides sloping away from one another to increase the width of the blank toward the face remote from the raised portions, the blanks having variations in the slope of the sides which form the groove, the slope of these groove sides being steepest at the raised portions so that said raised portions are wide enough to receive drive calks, and in balancing the side thrust during the rolling operation by making one blank the reverse of the parallel blank.

11. The method of rolling horseshoe blanks for drive-calk shoes which comprises rolling a billet into a double blank comprising a pair of parallel horseshoe blanks divided from one another by a straight groove and joined together at the bottom of the groove, and in rolling each of the blanks with elongated raised mid and end portions, and with a beveled side having variations in the slope of the bevel, the slope being steepest at the raised portions so that said raised portions are wide enough to receive drive calks, and in the same rolling operation forming creases in the face of each blank between the raised portions and nail hole depressions in the bottoms of the creases, and balancing the side thrust during the rolling operation by making one blank the reverse of the parallel blank.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a rolled horseshoe blank having a sloping side face, an elongated raised mid-portion and other elongated raised portions adjacent each end of the blank of sufficient width to receive holes for calks, the sloping side face being steep at the raised portions and changing progressively to a more gradual slope between said raised portions.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a rolled, substantially straight horseshoe blank having a depression in one face extending part way across said face so that the blank has a crosssection of greater vertical thickness at one side than at the other along said depression, the reduced section being on the side adapted to form the inside of the shoe when the blank is bent to horseshoe shape.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a rolled horseshoe in which the toe and both of the heel ends are thicker than the other parts of the shoe and extend downwardly from the bottom of the shoe to provide elongated bottom surfaces, and in which the wall on the inside of the shoe slopes outwardly toward the bottom of the shoe, the slope of the wall at the thick portions being more nearly vertical than at the other portions, and said thick portions having drive-calk openings therethrough.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a rolled horseshoe in which the toe and both of the heel ends are thicker than the other parts of the shoe and extend downwardly from the bot- 

